Sunday, November 30, 2014

Fifth Grade Multicultural Milk Jug Masks

Why have human beings, in many diverse culturesthroughout
history, made masks? Why do we do so today?

Fifth Graders viewed a large variety of multicultural masks asking this very question. We learned that some reasons masks might be used are for drama, celebration, disguise, religion, or protection.

Students carefully observed each mask, searching forinteresting shapes, lines, and features to sketch in their art journals. Kids noticed such things as:

Abstracted, exaggerated features

Metallic eyes that would reflect light and "come alive" around a fire

Hair and features made from materials abundant in the surrounding landscape

Solve the problem: if you designed a mask, what would it look like? What purpose
would it have?

To sculpt these masks we cut gallon milk jugs in half, keeping the round opening. Artists were introduced to analogous colors, selecting tissue papers from an analogous color group to decoupage over the surface with watered down Elmer's glue.

I displayed our paper sculpture chart and reviewed skills such as rolling, fringing, and scoring. Children were expected to use at least three paper sculpture techniques in forming their mask. This lesson took a few weeks, but the results are so worth it!